A HOWWOOD couple have been thanked by a charity for 40 years of voluntary work.

Morag Wills was a young mother when she first starting volunteering with Contact the Elderly in the 1970s.

Today she is a 70-year-old grandmother-of-three and still as passionate about volunteering as ever.

Morag and her husband George host afternoon tea parties for the charity from their rural home.

She said: “A lot has changed since we first got involved with Contact the Elderly and we are delighted to have been involved with this charity for such a long time.

“It’s a very simple premise. For volunteers you don’t have to put a lot in but everyone gets a lot out of it.

“The guests really enjoy the parties here, particularly playing with our very friendly Golden Retriever Molly or spending time with our visiting grandchildren.

“We really enjoy the parties and plan to continue volunteering for some time yet.”

Contact the Elderly presented the couple with a certificate and a special tea party for the landmark anniversary.

Valerie Crookston, Scotland executive officer at Contact the Elderly, said: “We are extremely grateful to our volunteers.

“The decades of dedication shown by Morag and George are outstanding.

“Volunteering with Contact the Elderly is rewarding and enjoyable and this special anniversary highlights that fantastically.”

Contact the Elderly has 96 groups in Scotland with more than 1000 volunteers supporting more than 900 people.

The charity runs free Sunday afternoon tea parties.

Parties are held in a volunteer host’s home and volunteer drivers collect older people, who live alone and are at risk of social isolation, to spend an afternoon enjoying the company of others in their local community.

For more information on volunteering with Contact the Elderly in the West of Scotland, contact Caroline McGinlay on caroline.mcginlay@contact-the-elderly.org.uk or 0141 812 1555.